(by Andrea Pinto) Asia Nikkei website reported that the United States plans to spend over the next six years 27,4 billion dollars in armaments to strengthen their conventional deterrence against China by establishing a network of precision missiles along the so-called first island chain in the Indo-Pacific theater.
The need arose as a result of growing Chinese activity around Taiwan and in the seas of eastern and southern China.
The project named Pacific Deterrence Initiative was presented to Congress by the military of the Indo-Pacific command of the United States.
"The greatest danger to the future of the United States continues to be the erosion of conventional deterrence“, States the document. "Without a valid and convincing conventional deterrent, China is encouraged to act in the region and globally to interfere in US interests. As the Indo-Pacific military balance becomes more unfavorable, the United States absorbs additional risks that could encourage adversaries to unilaterally attempt to change the status quo. "
In particular, the project foresees the deployment of a joint force integrated with missiles for precision attacks to the west along the first chain of islands and an integrated air missile defense in the second chain of islands, a way to preserve stability and, if necessary , to support war operations for long periods.
La first island chain consists of a group of islands including Taiwan, Okinawa and Philippines, which China considers the first line of defense. Beijing's "anti-access / denial of the area" strategy seeks to push American forces out of the seas of eastern and southern China into the first island chain.
China also tries to prevent US forces from getting closer to the "second island chain”In the western Pacific, ranging from Southeastern Japan to Guam and from the south to Indonesia.
The Indo-Pacific Command has requested funding as early as FY 2022 for $ 4,7 billion, double the $ 2,2 billion allocated to the region in FY 2021, going very close to the budget allocated each year for deterrence against the Russia equal to 5 billion dollars.
The total in six years will be 27,4 billion dollars used on the Indo-Chinese side, with funding starting from FY 2020.
In a speech to the think tank American Enterprise Institute of Washington on Thursday, the admiral Philip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said there were strong concerns over the next six years as a time when China might try to change the status quo in the region, as it is trying to do with Taiwan.
The project the admiral said is structured for "focus resources on military capabilities vital to deterring China". "The requirements outlined in this plan are specifically designed to discourage potential adversaries from any military action as it is too costly to counter US military might in the area."
The project will certainly be discussed with our legislators and with the countries that will be involved in its implementation. In the past, China has opposed US attempts to place missile shields in allied countries, particularly in the South Korea. However, the United States already has about 132.000 military personnel stationed in the Indo-Pacific, according to one white paper of the Japanese defense.
The military plan provides "missile networks for highly resistant precision attacks along the first island chain". This will involve the use of extensive use of ground batteries with conventional missiles, the use of nuclear warheads on such short and medium range missiles has been excluded.
The United States in the past has always based its strategy on the use of naval and air forces. During the 1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, the United States sent several aircraft carriers to project overwhelming military force as a deterrent.
However, China today has a diversified missile arsenal capable of blocking a possible US military advance within the second chain of islands. This makes the previous US Navy and Air Force strategy less effective.
China has about 1250 ground-based intermediate-range missiles in its arsenal, an arsenal that the Pentagon does not appear to have in its stock today. This important gap is due to the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which banned the development of land missiles with ranges between 500 km and 5.500 km. However, the agreement expired in 2019.